Recorded accompaniment for musical compositions



. 5, 1933. F. SMITH RECORDED ACCOMPANIMENT FOR MUSICAL COMPOSITIONS 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Filed Jan. 21, 1931 ww Q li EEEE? W, Mi.

ATTORNEYS 5, 1933. F. SMITH RECORDED ACCOMPANIMENT FOR MUSICAL COMPOSITIONS Filed Jan. 21, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 E 5 NM M w T INVENTOR M mmfis 1 Dec. 5, 1933. F. SMITH RECORDED ACCOMPANIMENT FOR MUSICAL COMPOSITIONS Filed Jan. 21, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 AMP.

YOU/Mi ammo:

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS mean a... 933 1,937,919

UN TED STATES PATENT .OFFlCE Franklyn Smith, New York, N. Y.

ApplicationJanuary 21, 1931. Serial No. 510,221 8 Claims. (Cl. 274-1) This invention relates to recorded accompanirecording and reproduction may be effected with 'ments for musical compositions having one or any appropriate types of sound recording and more unaccompanied solo parts, and has for its reproducing devices. The record itself consists objects the provisions! 9. novelrecorded accomof accompaniment parts alternating with blank 5 paniment for sue a composition, and the prospaces of uniform length, the position of the no vision of novel met ods of and apparatus for reblank spaces in the record corresponding to the cording and reproducing the recorded accomunaccompanied solo parts of the composition. In paniment. 1 recording the accompaniment, a definite time in- A musical composition written for a solo interval of a few seconds duration is permitted to 10 strument (piano, violin, cello, flute, etc.)- with elapse between the conclusion and resumption of 5g;

an accompaniment by an orchestra of symphonic consecutive accompaniment parts, quite irrespecsize is commonly termed a concerto. Practically tive of the actual length of the intervening solo every composer whose works have lived conpart. In reproducing the recorded accompanitributed one or more concerti. The advanced stument, the student or artist performer so'controls '15 dent of any solo instrument-learns, as a part the interruption and reestablishment of the op- 7 of his musical education, one or more of these erative relative movement between the sound re-. concerti; In many cases, the orchestral accomproducing device and the record that the length paniment has been arranged so that it may be of each of the blank spaces in the record correplayed on the piano, and a student or musician, sponds to the actual relative movement of the after learning the concerto, depends upon such a sound reproducing device and the'record during 75 piano arrangement, played by an accompanist, to the execution of the corresponding unaccomgive him a slight idea of the spirit and proper panied solo part. interpretation. of the composition. Obviously, In carrying out the invention, first to produce this is, at best, a very poor make-shift and en the recorded accompaniment, the accompanied tirelyinadequatefoi public performance. Students 'parts. of the musical composition and the accomand musicians who reach the concerto stage are paniment therefor are simultaneously rendered by legion. Symphony orchestras are few and fully a soloist and an orchestra. The accompaniment occupied with preparations for public perform- (but not the musical composition) is recorded on ances. Therefore, the student or'musicians opan appropriate record, blank spaces of uniform 3o portunity to ever play a concerto properly accomlength being provided in the record between the g5 panied by an orchestra is practically negligible. conclusion and resumption of accompaniment Recognizing the importance attached to this parts preceding and following respectively an untype of music by the musical pedagogue and accompanied solo part ofthemusical composition. the favorable reaction and appreciation of the Preferably, the musical composition and its acpublic to its performance, it is my aim in the companiment are performed for recording under present invention to provide, by sound recording such conditions that the' accompaniment is and reproducing means, appropriate recorded acaudible to the performer of the musical composicompaniments for concerti. The provision of tion while the musical composition is inaudible to such a recorded accompaniment would be comthe performers of the accompaniment but audible 4o paratively simple if the soloist and orchestra were to the conductor of the latter. The blank spaces playing together at all times. However, at variare advantageously provided by omitting the ous places throughout the composition, the orperformance of the unaccompanied solo parts and chestra is silent and the soloist plays alone. These substitutingtherefor a definite time interval of a unaccompanied solo passages are from a few secfew seconds duration between the last and first 45 onds to several minutes-in duration. They allow notes respectively of the accompaniment parts 10 latitude for individual interpretation, and on this preceding and following the unaccompanied solo account the same solo passage is rarely rendered, part of the composition.

, even by the same artist, in precisely the same The record of the accompaniment thus obtained time interval. It is, therefore, essential that the is available in conjunction with an appropriately I 5 recorded accompaniment permit such latitudeof controlled sound reproducing device for accom- 5 individual interpretation'o'f solo passages, while panying a performance of the musical composiat all other times synchronously accompanying tion. To this end the sound reproducing device the performer. is provided with suitable actuating means for The recorded accompaniment of my present inestablishing and for interrupting the operative 5 vention meets the foregoing requirements. The relative movement between the device and the record of the accompaniment, and is additionally provided with suitable means whereby the length of each of the blank spaces of the record corresponds to the actual relative'movement of the device and the record between the conclusion and with the novel recorded accompaniment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional top plan taken on the section line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a diagram of the electrical circuits of the complete apparatus, and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a record embodying the invention in which the characteristic blank spaces of uniform length are indicated by a.

'I will first describe my preferred practice in making a record of the accompaniment with the characteristic blank spaces of uniform length properly positioned to correspond to the unaccompanied solo passages of the composition. A.

soloist, for performing the musical composition, and an orchestra, for performing the accompaniment, are assembled. 'The soloist is so placed with respect to the orchestra that the performance of each is' directly inaudible to the other. A microphone is positioned in proximity to the soloist and'is operatively connected to a headphone worn by the conductor of the orchestra.- The conductor'is thus able to hear the soloist and accompany him faithfully. The recording line is tapped and operatively connected to a small speaker set up near the soloist so that he hears the orchestra as it plays the accompaniment. By this arrangement, the conductor hears the soloist and the soloist hears the orchestral accompaniment, while at the same time the soloist is outside of the recording microphone range and his performance will not be registered on the resulting recorded accompaniment.

When a solo passage in the musical composition is reached, the soloist omits it. The conductor, by a stop watch, permits the elapse of a predetermined definite time interval, say fourgseconds, between the last note played by the orchestra (preceding the solo passage) and the playing of the first note of the succeeding orchestral accompaniment. Wherever a solo passage occurs in the composition, irrespective of its length, the

I conductor permits the elapse of this same'definite time interval between consecutive orchestral accompaniments. The-resulting finished record is therefore a complete accompaniment for the musical composition with blank spaces (wherever a solo passage occurs) of a length equal to the relative movement of the recording device and the record during the equal predetermined time intervals marked off by the conductor. Sui h a record and duplicates thereof (made in tie well understood manner) are available for any student propriate control of the blank' spaces in the record. A suitable apparatus for the purpose is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings.

The apparatus shown in the drawings comprises two identical sound reproducing units A and B. Such a duplex form of apparatus permits the performance of accompaniments of twice the.

length possible with a. single unit apparatus. Using a disk record 16 inches in diameter having an operative speed of 33 R. P. M. provides about 14 minutes of recorded accompaniment. This is inadequate for the average concerto, and hence necessitates the duplex form of apparatus. By the use of a larger record, a single unit apparatus becomes practicable.

Each of the units A and B embodies an electric motor 5 designed to operate at a constant intermediate the gearing 6 and the turn-table 8. The pinion 1 1 meshes with a gear 12 secured to the same shaft as a pinion 13. A gear 14 meshes with the pinion 13.

A gear-toothed element 15 is mounted for movement into and'out of mesh with the gear 14. To this end, the element 15 is secured to a bracket 16 attached to one end. of -a longitudi- -nally movable arm 17. The arm 1'7 is mounted for longitudinal movement in a recess 18 in one end of a lever arm 19 pivoted at its other end 20.

A spring 21'biases the arm 1'7 to itsinnermost position within the recess 18. r

The lever arm 19 is operatively connected to the movable armature '22 of an electro-"magnetic solenoid 23. A control switch 24 is included in.

proximity to the performer of the musical composition. The switches mayadvantageously be arranged for actuation by the foot of the performer, in a manner similar to the manipulation of the pedals of a'piano. For the sake of' simplicity, the switches 24 are indicated in the drawings as of the simple on-off type, but in practice are preferably of the single button, twostation type. 1

When the solenoid 23 is energized, its armature 22 pulls the lever arm 19, and hence toothed element 15, "to its right-hand position against the tension of a spring 25. The sound reproducing apparatus now Operates to play the recorded accompaniment. When the switch 24 is next actuated (opened), the solenoid 23 is de-energized and the spring 25 pulls the lever arm 19 to the left until the toothed element 15 meshes with the gear 14. Rotation of the gear 14 carries the element 15 and its attached arm 1'7 outwardly (with respect' to the'recess 18) against the tension of the spring 21. When the arm 17 has thus travelled a predetermined distance, it engages the button 26 of a switch element 27 in the circuit of the motor 5. A spring 28 normally .biases the switch 27 to its circuit-closing position. The engagement of the arm 17 with the button 26 opens the switch 27, thereby stopping the motive means driving the turn-table 8. The spring 28 possesses sulficient resilient force to absorb the momentum of the rotating mechatravelling a predetermined distance operating gear 14'.

nism when the energy supply of the motor 5 is interrupted, and. the gear 14 and other rotating parts of the mechanism are brought to rest after the actuation of the switch 4.

The stylus 10 of each sound reproducing unit is electrically connected, in the manner well understood in the art, to an amplifier 29 and a loud speaker 30. A switch 31 is included in this electriccircuit. The switch 31 is normally biased to its circuit-closing position, and is moved to its open position by the lever arm 19 when the solenoid 23 is de-energized. This insures complete silence of the loud-speaker during the performance of solo passages.

The operation of the apparatus is reasonably evident from the foregoing description. With one of the switches 24 closed, the sound reproducing apparatus synchronously accompanies the accompanied passages of the musical; composition. At a. predetermined timewith respect to the commencement of a solo passage, say when the last note of the accompaniment is played, the soloist actuates the switch 24 to its open position. The. record moves a predetermined distance until brought to a fullstop by the action of the toothed element 15 and its co- A predetermined definite amount of the blank space of the record (corresponding to this solo passage) is thereby run over. The soloist plays the solo passage according to his own interpretation thereof. At a predetermined time interval in advance of the instant he desires the accompaniment to be reto run-over the spaces.

sumed, he again actuates the switch24, this time to its circiiit closing position. The sound reproducing mechanism is thereby set in operation and attains its full normal speed before the re-, mainder of the-blank space is run over, and the recorded accompaniment begins to play at the instant desired by the soloist. The length of each of the blank spaces in the record thus corresponds to the actual relative movement of the stylus 10.and the record 9 between the conclusion and resumption of consecutive accompaniment" parts when the soloist operates the actuating switch 24' at predetermined times with respect to the conclusion and resumption of such consecutive accompaniment parts.

Where I have herein spoken of the blank spaces in the record as being of uniform length, it will be understood that I mean equal in operative length. The linear length of the blank spaces is not necessarily the same, since in a disk record the linear length of the blank spaces will be slightly greater the nearer the blank spaces are to the periphery of the record. The uniformity in length of the blank spaces is with respect to the operative time that it takes the apparatus When the end of the record on the unit A has been reached, the. soloist actuates the switch 24 of this unit to its open position, and actuates the switch 24 of the unit B to its circuit closing position. The pick-ups of the two units A and B are initially placed at the appropriate starting mark on each. The soloist is thus able to complete his performance of the composition without any interruption to change records.

While the invention has been particularly de scribed with respect to providing orchestral ac- 'companiment for concerti, its applicability extends far beyond this particular field. Thus, the invention may be used with advantage in providing recorded accompaniments for operas, orafollowing in-the other of which it 3 torias, choruses, and the like. The invention may be used with advantage by students for practice p ses and by musicians for public performances including radio broadcasting.

I claim:

1. A sound reproducing apparatus including a record carrier and a cooperating sound reproducing device, motive means for eilecting operative relative movement between said carrier and said device, a movable member operatively connected to said motive means, a second movable member having two operative positions in one of which it engages and moves with said first member and is disengaged from said first member, means for moving said second member into each of its said operating positions, and means cooperating with said second member for controlling the energization of said motive means and for absorbing the momentum of the moving partsof said apparatus when said motive means is ie-energized.

2. 'A sound reproducing apparatus including a J record carrier and a cooperating. sound reproducing device, an electric motor for effecting operative relative movement between said carrier and said device, a movable member operatively connected to said motor, a second movable member having two operative positions in one of which it engages and moves with said first member and in the, other of which it is disengaged from said first member, means for moving said second member into each of its said operating positions,

means in the path of movement of said second member when moving with said first member for controlling the supply of electric energy to said motor, and means for absorbing the momentum.

of the moving parts of said apparatus when the supply of electric energy to said motor is interrupted.

3. A sound reproducing apparatus comprising a movable record carrier, an electric motor operatively connected to said carrier, a rotatable member operatively connected to said motor, a movable element having two operative positions in one of which it engages and moves, with said member and in the other of which it is disengaged from said member, means for moving said element into each of its said operating positions, means in the path of movement of said element when moving with said member for controlling the supply of electric energy to said motor, and

means for absorbing the momentum of the moving parts of said apparatus when the supply of electric energy to said motor is interrupted.

v4. A sound reproducing apparatus including a it engages and moves with said first member and in the ether of which it is disengaged from said first member, means for moving said second member into each of its said operating positions, circuit-controlling means for said electrieqnotor positioned in the path of movement of said second member when moving with said first member, and means cooperatingwith said second member when moving with said first member for absorbing the momentum of the moving parts of said apparatus when said circuit-controlling means is actuated to interrupt the supply of electric energy to said motor.

5. A sound reproducing apparatus including a record carrier and a cooperating sound reproducing device, an electric motor for effecting operative relative movement between said carrier and said device, a speed reducing gear train operatively connected to said motor, a movable member adapted in one position to engage the final gear of said train and to move therewith and in another position to be disengaged from said final Jill gear, means for moving said member into each of its said positions, means in the path of movement of said member when moving with said final gear for controlling the supply of electric energy to said motor, and means cooperating with said member when moving with said final gear for absorbing the momentum of the moving parts of said apparatus when the supply of electric energy to said motor is interrupted.

6. An apparatus for accompanying a musical composition having one or more unaccompanied solo passages, which comprises a sound reproducing device and a cooperating record made up of alternating accompaniment parts and blank spaces of uniform length whose positions in the record correspond top the unaccompanied solo passages of the musical composition, actuating means for establishing and for interrupting the operative relative movement between said device and said record, and means for effecting coincidence of the ,length of each of said blank spaces with the actual relative movement of the device and the record between the conclusion and resumption of consecutive accompaniment parts when said actuating means is operated at predetermined times with respect to the conclu sion and resumption of said consecutive accompaniment parts.

7. An apparatus for accompanying a musical composition having one or more unaccompanied solo passages, which comprises a sound reproducing device and a cooperating record made up 4 of alternating accompaniment parts and blank spaces of uniform length whose positions in the record correspond to the unaccompanied solo passages of the musical composition, motive means for effecting operative relative movement 'between said device and said record, actuating means for starting and stopping said motive means, and means for effecting an operative relative movement of said device and said record following the operation of said actuating means to stop said motive means of only-a part of the length of a blank space in the record'and for causing the operative relative movement of said device and said record to attain its normal velocity after the operation of said actuating means to start said motive means within the remaining part of the length of a blank space in the record.

8. An apparatus for accompanying a musical composition having one or more unaccompanied solo passages, which comprises a sound reproducing device and a cooperating record made up of alternating accompaniment parts andblank spaces of uniform length whose positions in the .record correspond to the unaccompanied solo passages of that musical composition, motive 106 means for eflecting operative relative movement between said device and said record, actuating means for starting and stopping said motive means, and means for effecting coincidence of the length of each blank space 'in said record 165 with the actual movement of the record with respect to said device between the operation of said actuating means to stop said motive means and the subsequent attainment of the normal velocity of operative relative movement of the fill record and the device following the subsequent operation of said actuating means to start said motive means.

FRANKLYN SMITH. 

